Networks
Our networks are critical to Cymorth’s work and enable us to stay connected to our members. They provide spaces for our members to receive key policy updates, share their views and experiences, influence policy and legislation, shape our campaigns, hear from external speakers, and share good practice. Our networks include:
- Frontline Network Wales
- Housing First Wales Network
- Learning Disability Provider Forum
- PIE Network
- Regional Provider Forums
- Third Sector Substance Use Network
Make sure you are signed up to our mailing list and tick the relevant boxes to ensure you receive updates about our network meetings.
Frontline Network Wales
The Frontline Network Wales is delivered by Cymorth Cymru in partnership with the St Martin’s Frontline Network. It aims to give frontline homelessness and housing support staff an opportunity to share their views and experiences, to make their voices heard and influence policy and practice.
The Frontline Network Wales holds online regional meetings four times a year and the discussion topics are influenced by frontline workers or upcoming opportunities to influence policy and legislation. We frequently publish reports based on the views and experiences shared by frontline workers who attend these meetings and respond to our surveys. These often include recommendations for government, commissioners and service providers.
Who can attend? Frontline homelessness and housing support workers in Wales.
Interested in attending? Get in touch with policy@cymorthcymru.org.uk
Housing First Wales Network
The Housing First Wales Network is a space for individuals and organisations with an interest in developing and delivering Housing First in Wales. With representation from the third sector, the Welsh Government, local authorities, social landlords, health boards and more, it aims to support the effective delivery and expansion of Housing First across Wales by sharing good practice, facilitating discussions about key issues, developing solutions to challenges, and producing reports and guides to support the sector.
Who can attend? Any staff member involved in commissioning or delivering Housing First projects in Wales.
Interested in attending? Get in touch with
HousingFirst@cymorthcymru.org.uk
- Chair: Cath Docherty, Salvation Army
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
- Housing First Communications Sub Group: The Housing First Communications Sub Group looks at the ways we communicate about Housing First across Wales, and how to do so most effectively with varied audiences. The group tries to ensure that the conversation about Housing First is honest and open.
- Housing First for Youth Sub Group: The Housing First for Youth Sub Group looks at Housing First provision for people aged 16-25, an area Wales is leading on. The group ensures that the voices of young people are heard when it comes to developing services, and ensures that Housing First for Youth is as robustly designed as Housing First itself.
- Housing First Housing Management Sub Group: Social landlords are a vital part of Housing First in Wales. This group ensures their voices are heard, and also works to create meaningful dialogue and discussion between social landlords, support providers, and other stakeholders, with a focus on sharing good practice and lessons learned.
- Housing First for Women Sub Group: The Housing First for Women Sub Group has been established in partnership with Welsh Women’s Aid to take a research-based approach to determine how the Housing First model might best support women in a variety of circumstances. The group will look at examples of good practice, and consider the specific needs of this particular client group, to ensure that the model works effectively with vulnerable women.
- Housing First Wales data: February 2018 – September 2022
The Housing First Wales Accreditation was developed to evaluate whether projects are being delivered in line with the Housing First principles for Wales. It is a very rigorous process, with scrutiny of the organisation’s policies and procedures, and interviews with Housing First tenants, staff, commissioners, landlords and partner organisations. The following reports have been published following the accreditation of Housing First projects in Wales:
- Housing First Anglesey (Led by The Wallich) – Accreditation Action Plan Follow Up Report (2023)
- Housing First Anglesey (Led by The Wallich) – Accreditation Report (2022)
- Housing First Cardiff (Led by Salvation Army) – Accreditation Action Plan Follow Up Report (2022)
- Housing First Cardiff (Led by Salvation Army) – Accreditation Report (2021)
- Housing First Conwy Denbighshire – Accreditation Action Plan Follow Up Report (2021)
- Housing First Conwy Denbighshire – Accreditation Report (2020)
Learning Disability Provider Forum
The Learning Disability Provider Forum is a space for senior managers from our Learning Disability provider members to meet regularly to discuss the issues affecting their services and the people they support.
Who can attend? Senior managers from Cymorth member organisations which deliver support to people with a learning disability.
Interested in attending? Get in touch with policy@cymorthcymru.org.uk
- Chair: Mandy Powell, Cymorth Cymru
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
PIE Network
The PIE Network is a space where Cymorth members working in the homelessness, housing and support sector can come together to hold discussions, hear from expert speakers, share good practice, and support each other to embed psychologically informed approaches across Wales.
Who can attend? Any staff member working for providers and commissioners of homelessness and housing-related support services in Wales.
Interested in attending? Get in touch with catrin@cymorthcymru.org.uk
- Chair: Catrin Elliott-Williams, Cymorth Cymru
- Date of next meeting: TBC
Regional Provider Forums
Our Regional Provider Forums (RPFs) provide a space for providers of homelessness and housing support services to receive key policy updates, share their views and experiences, influence policy and legislation, shape our campaigns, hear from external speakers and share good practice.
There are six RPFs, and these are aligned with the Regional Housing Support Collaborative Groups, which provide a space for collaborative working across homelessness, housing, health, social care and other relevant public services. The Regional Collaborative Groups each have a number of provider and landlord representatives, who report back to our RPFs and gather the views of other homelessness and housing support providers.
Who can attend? Managers or team leaders working in non-profit homelessness and housing support services – including those provided by the third sector, housing associations or in-house local authority services (please note: commissioners are not invited).
Interested in attending? Get in touch with steph@cymorthcymru.org.uk
- Chair: Lorraine Griffiths (Pobl)
- Provider reps: Lorraine Griffiths (Pobl)
- Landlord reps: Sarah O’Keefe (WWHA)
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
- Chair: TBC
- Provider reps: Karen Barnes (Pobl), Kath Deakin (Monmouthshire HA), Sam Lewis (Llamau)
- Landlord reps: Mark Doubler (Bron Afon)
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
- Chair: XXX
- Provider reps: XXX
- Landlord reps: XXX
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: XX/XX/XX
- Minutes – XX/XX/XX
- Chair: Sophie Davies (Carmarthenshire Council)
- Provider reps: Jason Smith (Pobl), Guy Evans (Care Society)
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
- Chair: Ashella Lewis (Crisis)
- Provider reps: Gemma Hodges (Calan DVS), Alison James (Goleudy), Nichola Jones (Mirus), Lynne Sanders (Swansea WA), Phil Stapley (The Wallich)
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
- Chair: TBC
- Provider reps: Janice Bell (United Welsh), Lorraine Griffiths (Pobl)
- Landlord reps: XXX
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
Third Sector Substance Use Network
The Third Sector Substance Use Network provides a regular forum to discuss key issues affecting substance use services and the people they support, receive updates from the Welsh Government, contribute to the development of policy, share good practice and hear from external speakers.
Who can attend? Staff from third sector organisations who support people experiencing substance use issues.
Interested in attending? Get in touch with policy@cymorthcymru.org.uk
- Chair: Andrew Misell, Alcohol Change
- Terms of Reference
- Date of next meeting: TBC
